Rob Gonsalves

(born in 1959)

Rob Gonsalves was born in 1959 in Toronto, Canada. His style can be categorized as magic realism. He produces original works, limited edition prints, and illustrations for his own books.

During his childhood, Gonsalves developed an interest in drawing from imagination using various media. By the age of twelve, his awareness of architecture grew as he learn perspective techniques and he began to create his first paintings and renderings of imagined buildings. After an introduction to artists Dali and Tanguy, Gonsalves began his first surrealist paintings.

Although Gonsalves' works are often called surrealistic, they differs due to the fact that the images are deliberately planned and result from conscious thought. Ideas are largely generated by the external world and involve recognizable human activities, using carefully planned illusionist devices. Gonsalves injects a sense of magic into realistic scenes. As a result, the term "Magic Realism" describes his work accurately. His work is an attempt to represent human beings' desire to believe the impossible, to be open to possibility.

In June 2003, Simon & Schuster introduced North America and Canada to "Imagine a Night", Gonsalves' first hardcover book featuring sixteen paintings. Due to the success of "Imagine a Night", Simon & Schuster released a second book, "Imagine a Day", in 2004 for which he won the 2005 Governor General's Award in the Children's Literature - Illustration category. He is also an accomplished guitarist. His book "Imagine a Place" was released in 2008.

RUSART FINE ARTS CO is a private independent art studio operated in Greater Vancouver, since 2009.
We offer classes, private lessons, and corporate and family events.

Now, over 100 students are attending our art classes on weekly basis. For more than 7 years of work, over 800 students have attended our art classes. About 1/3 of our current students are long-term clients, have been taking our lessons for longer than a year. Every fifth student came here by their friend’s referral.

All our principal teachers are professional artists and designers with years of experience of teaching arts to both kids and adults.